The city is ranked second-highest in the rate of ‘recidivism’ among all states and union territories in the country, reveals the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

The city is ranked second-highest in the rate of ‘recidivism’ among all states and union territories in the country, reveals the latest National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) report.

Relapsing into crimes by a person, even after being punished, is known as ‘recidivism’; a recidivist thus relapses into crime as a matter of habit.

The report states that of 3,864 people arrested for different crimes in Chandigarh in 2013, 1,175 were repeat offenders, implying that the percentage of recidivism is 36.7%.

SSP Sukhchain Singh said habitual offenders were mostly from slums/semi urban areas and they indulged in petty crimes such as theft, burglary and snatching, the rate of which was very high in the city.

DSP (crime) Jagbir Singh said lack of education and job opportunities push people from the lower strata of society into crime. Dr Upneet Lalli, deputy director, Institute of Correctional Administration, Chandigarh, said, “Recidivists are not usually involved in crimes against body but crimes against property.”

To check recidivism, in 2011, the police planned to introduce externment, meaning that that the recidivists will be thrown out of the city for a certain period.